Leader Spotlight

Jamie Dailey (Young Leader 2005)

Lead Vocalist, Dailey & Vincent

What do you like most about Switzerland?
I love the beautiful countryside of Switzerland. One of my favorite places is Gstaad. The scenery in the Alps is breathtaking. Of course, it goes without saying that I love Swiss chocolate and I enjoy my friendships with my longtime and new Swiss friends. They are some of the finest people I’ve ever met.

What do you like most about the USA?
I love America for more reasons than room would allow in this interview. During my travels as an entertainer I have met countless Americans and I love their good hearts. America has given me great opportunities as a professional entertainer. I am deeply thankful.

What defines your leadership style?
I am a hands-on manager—very detail-oriented. Precision and careful organization have been the keys to our success as a business.

Who inspires you?
I continue to be inspired by the friendship I have developed with Ambassador Whittlesey. There have been numerous singers and musicians who have helped me in my career and have been strong mentors. I have learned the most from my childhood heroes, the Statler Brothers of Virginia, who are now in the Country and Gospel Music Hall of Fame. I have been privileged to sing with them on numerous occasions.

What is your greatest achievement?
My business partner Darrin Vincent and I started a business seven years ago with $1,200 between us. With a band of 10, a bus driver, manager, crew, attorneys, financial manager, and booking agents, our business now successfully supports many families.

Do you have any weaknesses?
Swiss chocolate.

Where do you live?
Nashville, Tennessee. A booming city.

What is your favorite place in the world?
My mother’s kitchen table!

What is the best book you ever read?
The Bible, Backwards in High Heels (the story of Ambassador Whittlesey’s life) by Thomas J. Carty, Real Life at the White House by John and Claire Whitcomb, The Secret Service by Philip H. Melanson, and The Statler Brothers: Random Memories by Harold and Don Reid.

What is your goal in life?
To go to Heaven, to make the best music possible, and to bring joy to as many people as I can in my lifetime.

About Jamie Dailey

Jamie Dailey, who participated in the American Swiss Foundation Young Leaders Conference in 2005, is the lead vocalist and guitar/bass player of the popular bluegrass band Dailey & Vincent. Jamie and his band have been recognized with numerous awards, including the International Bluegrass Music Association’s (IBMA) Entertainer of the Year and Vocal Group of the Year Awards for 3 consecutive years and 37 Society for the Preservation of Blue Grass Music of America (SPBGMA) Awards in 4 years’ time. In 2010, their chart-topping record “Dailey & Vincent Sing the Statler Brothers” brought them their first country Grammy nomination. Jamie began his career in 1998 with Lawson & Quicksilver as lead tenor and baritone singer and bass player. Dailey & Vincent has performed frequently and toured internationally, including in Switzerland, and has been a featured band on Grand Ole Opry for several years.